Radio supporting bracket for motorcycles



e. L. VAN GASTLE 2,490,563

RADIO SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR MOTORCYCLES Dec. 6, 1949 Filed Sept. 27, 1946 Granl L. V2122 Gasllc? Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RADIO SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR MOTORCYCLES Grant L. Van Gastle, Columbus, Ohio Application September 27, 1946, Serial N 0. 699,927

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to radio receptacles, and more particularly to receptacles of the typ adapted for the support 10f radios upon vehicles.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a receptacle for radio-receiving sets which may be easily and conveniently installed upon the handle bars of motorcycles or other cycle vehicles.

Another object of my invention is to provide a receptacle of this type which embodies an exteriorly mounted metallic housing for the loudspeaker of an associated radio-receiving set, which housing serves, in addition to its normal supporting and amplifying functions, as an antenna for the associated radio.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a cycle mounting for radios which is compact and occupies but little installation space upon the ordinary handle bars of a motorcycle, and which eliminates a separate and usually cumbersome antenna and its associated wiring mechanism.

These and additional objects and advantages of my improved cycle mounting for radios will become more apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my improved radio receptable mounted on the handle bars of a motorcycle;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through the upper portion of the radio cabinet and through the speaker housing.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that my improved cycle mounting embodies a pair of depending connection brackets I0 which are rigidly secured at their lower ends, by means of threaded bolts II, at a suitable position upon the lower members of the handle bars I2 of a motorcycle or bicycle. The upper ends of the brackets are bent backwardly to lie in a substantially horizontal plane, and are further bent to form U-shaped clamps I3 which fit around the lower curved surface of the cross member I4 of the handle bars. The upper flat surfaces of the brackets II] are provided with apertures on either side of the clamps I3, through which are passed the ends of threaded bolts I5. The latter pass through a substantially horizontally disposed rectangular bed plate I6 to rigidly secure the same upon the upper portion of the brackets.

Spaced from the outer edges of the bed plate I6 are four strips of angle iron which form perpendicularly disposed rectangular outer flanges l1; one leg of the angle iron strips being rigidly secured, by riveting or by welding, to the bed plate I6; the other leg being provided with a series of threaded holes adapted to receive a like number of cooperatively threaded screws I8. The bed plate I6 is adapted, by means of these screws, to detachably receive the lower open end of a rectangular radio cabinet I9, which is of such a size as to fit snugly around the flange II. with the cabinet I9 positioned upon the bed plate I 5, a relatively enclosed box-like structure is obtained, in which may be positioned the various components of a radio receiving set.

The walls of the cabinet I9 are provided at suitable positions with openings through which the various manual controls of a radio set may pass to join with rotatable control knobs, as indicated at 20. The upper wall of the cabinet is provided with a centrally disposed circular opening 2| whose periphery is covered by an annular collar 22 formed from rubber, synthetic resin, or any suitable electrical insulating material.

A parabolic speaker housing 23 is positioned above the cabinet I9, and is provided with a depending hollow shaft 24 which extends inwardly of the cabinet through the insulating collar 22. The shaft is formed with an enlarged circular flange 25 approximately intermediate its length which serves as a positioning and retention collar for the speaker housing. The lower end of the shaft 24 is screw-threaded, as at 26, and receives a cooperatively threaded clam-p nut 2! to firmly maintain the housing upon the cabinet. Interposed between the clamp nut 21 and the insulating collar 22 is a circular metallic washer 28 which is formed with an outwardly projecting arm 29. This arm is provided with circuit-connection screw 30 which is adapted to receive the end of an antenna lead of a radio. It will be seen, in view of the above relation of parts, that antenna current will be conducted through the washer 29, the shaft 24, and ultimately through the entire parabolic housing 23 which serves as an entity as the antenna of an associated radio set.

The supporting shaft 24 :of the speaker housing 23 is formed with an axially disposed bore which opens at either end internally of the housing 23 and within the cabinet I9. Through the bore is passed the lead wires SI of a loud speaker unit 32. The wires 3| are suitably insulated from the metal of the shaft by a cylinder of bonding and shielding material 33, as shown in Fig. 4, which material will extend out of either end of the bore of the shaft.

The loud speaker 32 is mounted within the parabolic housing 23 in a manner so as to completely insulate it from the metal of the housing, as for example as shown in Fig. 4, the housing is provided at its face with an inwardly projecting circular flange 134, which carries an annular rubber washer 35 which resiliently supports the outer circular edge 35 of the speaker cone. The washer 35 is held in position by a metallic ring 3'! rigidly joined with the inwardly projecting flange 3 1 of the'housing. The Open face of the speaker and housing is covered by a circular grill plate 38 which may be soldered or welded to the housing proper. It will be manifest that the grill will further increase the area of the antenna to provide additional efiective surface therefor.

In operation, the mechanism of a radio-receiving set is suitably anchored to and insulated from the bed plate 55, the same may advisably be cushioned from the plate by resilient packing in order to lessen the .jar caused by road shocks, The antenna lead of the radio set is then connected with the circuit screw 3ii leadin'g to the housing 29, and the loudspeaker leads joined with their associated outlets, at wh ch time the cabinet is snugly positioned around the flange !'i and joined therewith 'by the screws 18.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seenithat the present invention provides both a mechanically efficient and extremely compact mounting for radios which is readilyradapta'ble for attachment with the handle bars of a cycle vehicle'and, when so attached, occupies a readily-accessible position in front and'below the veye'level of the driver. The speaker, serving "as an antenna for an associated radio, velimnates excessive and cumbersome wiring orpost antenna, and presents an attractive and orderly appearance.

While I have describedin :detail a preferred form of my invention, itwill be manifest that various modifications in designand details of :con-

struction may be accomplished without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

Iclaim: l. A weather-protective housing for radio-receiving sets adapted for mounting upon'cycleivehicles and comprising a substantially i'fiat base 'plate for supporting .a radio-receivingset'; an

open-bottom cabinet inclu'din side and top'walls detachably carried at the marginal edge portion of said base plate for enclosing a receiving set supported on said base plate; a parabolic metallic loud speaker housing having a bracket portion extending throughand secured to'but electrically insulated from the top wall of said cabinet and .and electrically insulated from both said speaker housing and said cabinet for connecting a loud speaker enclosed in said speaker housing with the speaker circuit of a receiving set carried upon said base plate; and terminal means electrically connected with the bracket portion of said speaker housing for connecting the antenna circuit of a radio-receiving set carried upon said base plate to said speaker housing.

2. A weather-protective radio receptacle for ;mounting upon cycle'vehiclescomprising a flat base plate; means for attaching saidbase plate in a substantially horizontal plane to a member of a cycle vehicle; an open-bottom cabinet including side and top walls detachably carried at the marginal edge portion of said base plate and defining therewith a substantially enclosed chamber for the reception of a radio-receiving set; a

hollow metallic housing embodying a parabolic member and a closure grille carried at the open end of said member and defining a substantially enclosed chamber for the reception of a radio loud speaker; a hollow metallic pedestal member electrically connected with said parabolic member and extending through the top wall of said cabinet and within the chamber defined byisaid cabi- 'net and said base plate; means rigidly connecting said pedestal membertothe top wall of said cabinet but electrically insulating said'pedestal member from said cabinet; a loud speakerlead extending through said pedestal member and within the chambers defined by saidcabinet and said housing and electrically insulated from said housing, pedestal memberand cabinet for connecting a loud speaker disposedwithin-said' housing with the loud speaker circuit of a radioreceiving set carried within'said cabinet; and means electrically'connected with said pedestal member internally or said cabinet for connecting the antenna circuit of -a radio-receiving set carried within said cabinet with said=pedestal member and said housing, the latter'serving when so connected as an external antenna "fora radioreceiving set disposed within said cabinet.

GRANT L. VAN GASTLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record-in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,583,565 Asbury r May 4, 1926 1,716,538 Blackmore June 11, 1929 1,885,913 Haselton Nov. 1,1932 2,109,315 Harley Feb. 22, 1938 2,321,192 Fischer June 8,1943

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 'Date 139,962 Germany May 15, 1930 55,309 Norway 1 Junel'l, 1935 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Science, April 1940, pa 2065208, Bicycles, by M11161. 

